


lay it on me

by starryeyedauthor



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Trigger Warning: Mental Illness, and its beautiful, and the gang shows up to lift her up, featuring Vance Joy, southside serpents, supportive friends, the reader is in The Bad Place
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-17
Updated: 2018-07-17
Packaged: 2019-06-12 03:00:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15330285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starryeyedauthor/pseuds/starryeyedauthor
Summary: A second part to my one shot, "your mess is mine."





	lay it on me

It started off as a cold feeling that crept into your thoughts, hidden behind worries about homework and your friends and your absent mother and the things you couldn’t control. You shoved it all down, relentlessly forcing yourself to hold onto a facade of serenity, putting on a random movie and trying to lose yourself in the plot. 

 

At some point the music in the background descended into something slow and melancholy, and before you knew it a trail of wetness is spilling down your cheeks, down your collarbone and into the cotton of your oversized t-shirt. You let it happen, figuring that an emotional release must be what you need right now, your vision swimming as you paused the film and your face crumpled. A sob rose in your chest and you curled in on yourself, your body shaking with the weight of everything, a feeling pushing down on your shoulders, taking on the form of a person that told you nothing would ever be okay again. 

 

“Fuck,” you muttered, your breaths starting to grow short. “Get it together,” you mumbled to yourself, your voice breaking as you wept. 

 

You waited as long as you could, eventually standing up to pace the small trailer, tugging your fingers through the roots of your hair, feeling your eyes swelling under the pressure of all your tears. When you went in search of the prescription you had been given, a bottle of pills you hadn’t touched in ages, you found it empty and sobbed again, slumping against the wall and tucking your head between your knees, trying to breathe through sobs that made your entire body shake as if it was collapsing in on itself. 

 

When it had been almost thirty minutes and you hadn’t calmed down, the ache of loneliness and perturbation flooding your senses, you shakily clutched onto your phone, shooting Toni a text, nothing but the emoji your friends had insisted you send them at moments like this. You had never expected to use it, but you couldn’t breathe and you just wanted someone, anyone to hold your hand and hug you tightly. 

 

Almost immediately your phone was ringing loudly, Toni’s photo appearing on the screen. Your struggled to steady your hands long enough to accept the call, but when you brought the phone to your ear Toni’s voice was laced with worry, the familiar sound bringing tears to your eyes. “Y/N, are you okay? I’m on my way right-  _ damn it, Fangs let’s go! I’ll explain outside.”  _

 

She paused halfway to shout at Fangs and you exhaled shakily, settling your hand over your chest and trying to lower your heart rate. “I just, I can’t,” you spluttered, bawling into your hands and leaning your back against the wall, squeezing your eyes shut. “Toni,  _ I can’t.”  _

 

“You’re okay, you’re going to be just fine,” Toni soothed, and you heard the sound of an engine roaring to life. “I’m going to be right there any minute, okay? Is the door unlocked?” 

 

It took you a few minutes to answer, and as you glanced over your shoulder at the door across the trailer, you nodded, finding it open before you realized she couldn’t see you. “Yes.” 

 

You could barely hear Toni over the drive, and you sucked in a hurried breath, wiping your sweaty palms on your shorts. Not even ten minutes later, your front door was swinging open, a rush of footsteps racing up the wooden stairs to your trailer. You lifted your face from your hands, and your eyes found Toni’s, her face softening as she found you, crumpled on the floor, your face red and wet with tears, hair dishevelled and hands clenched around it. 

 

“I-I’m sorry,” you cried, gasping for breath as she immediately raced to you, dropping onto the floor in front of you and tugging your hands out of your hair. 

 

“Shh,” she soothed, a few footsteps following, a belated upwards glance showing you that she was followed by Sweet Pea and Fangs. “We’re here, Y/N. You’re not alone.” 

 

“Not now, not ever,” Fangs added, shedding his jacket and crouching down on your other side, setting his hand on your shoulder and squeezing tightly. 

 

“I’ll get her some water, “ Sweet Pea muttered hurriedly, stomping off to the kitchen where you heard him scrambling for a glass.

 

You only felt worse, seeing your friends rushing around in a panic, sacrificing their nights to help you, the twinge in your chest growing sharper. 

 

“Breathe with me,” Fangs coaxed when your hand rose to your chest. His hand grabbed yours and you closed your eyes, focusing on the warmth of his skin, clutching onto it tightly. “Come on, sweetheart. Just breathe slowly.” 

 

You did as he said, copying his breathing as you stayed curled against the wall, your body tense. Toni ran her hand through your hair soothingly and you glanced up as Sweet Pea hovered over the three of you, a glass of water in his hand as he glanced down at you with furrowed brows, eyes narrowed at you with concern and unease. 

 

“You need to relax your muscles,” Toni murmured, and Fangs was moving before you had even blinked, gently tugging you away from the wall and into his arms. You sighed shakily and held still for a moment, feeling his large arms encircle your waist, his familiar smell surrounding you. Your eyes fluttered shut and you tried to keep breathing slow, melting into his hold and letting his warmth surround you, feeling Toni’s hand rub up and down your back.

 

“Aren’t you supposed to be at work?” You asked when your breathing had slowly and you weren’t shaking as badly, your eyes immediately opening as the realization dawned, guilt washing over you. 

 

Toni laughed and you tilted your head, settling it in the crook of Fangs’ neck and sneaking a peek at her. “Please, Y/N. Hog Eye can handle the bar on his own for the rest of the night. FP can back him up if anything.”

 

The thought of FP trying bartend made a soft laugh escape your lips and Toni grinned victoriously, scooting back as Sweet Pea cautiously settled down on the floor with the rest of you. 

 

“Water?” He asked quietly, holding the glass towards you, dark eyes soft with concern. It was rare to see Sweet Pea so gentle, and you smiled slightly, shaking your head.

 

“Drink a little,” Fangs encouraged, his hand never ceasing in it’s light movements against your back. “Just a few sips.” 

 

You sighed and grabbed the glass, your hand still trembling as you pulled back from Fangs only slightly, taking a small few sips of water before handing it back to Sweet Pea.

 

You watched in surprise as he proceeded to down the rest of the glass, setting it down dramatically. “Damn. That was stressful as fuck.” 

 

Toni slapped him on the chest but you were already laughing in surprise, your loud giggles filling the space of the trailer and breaking the tense atmosphere, Fangs chuckling beneath you as Toni and Sweet Pea chuckled. 

 

“I’m sorry you guys,” you murmured when your laughter had dulled, resting your head on Fangs’ shoulder, nervously tugging on the hem of your shirt. “I didn’t mean for this to happen, I just… I don’t know what happened.”

 

“Don’t apologize to us like you’re some sort of burden,” Toni scolded, her voice stern but gentle. “We love you, and we’re not going anywhere. I’m proud of you for texting me, Y/N. I never want you to go through this alone.” 

 

“None of us do,” Sweet Pea added, shooting you a small smile. “I mean, personally, I may not understand exactly what you’re feeling, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to try to help in any way I can. So first thing’s first lady, you need to get these refilled tomorrow, no excuses.” He was gesturing to your empty prescription bottle on the floor, recognizing it immediately. 

 

You sighed heavily and tightened your hold on Fangs, breathing in his smell. “I will. I just didn’t want to have to rely on any medication.” 

 

“You calmed down without it,” Fangs pointed out quietly. “But it’s not a bad thing to have something that makes this easier on you. That’s nothing to be ashamed of. People take medications for their illnesses, this isn’t any different.” 

 

“I’ll even go with you,” Toni vowed, giving you a sweet smile. “We’ll get coffee after, head to the mall or something. We’ll make a day out of it, that way you won’t have to think of it as just a day of going to see the doctor.” 

 

Your heart swelled with adoration and relief and everything in between, feelings you hadn’t known you could feel not even twenty minutes ago. Blinking rapidly, you smiled at Toni, outstretching your hand so you could squeeze hers gently. “I love you, T.” 

 

Toni grinned, mururing her love back to you and you hurriedly continued, looking up at Fangs and then Sweet Pea. “And you guys. I love you all, thank you for being here.” 

 

“We’ll always be here,” Fangs murmured, pressing a kiss against your forehead, his lips warm and gentle. 

 

“No serpent stands alone,” Sweet Pea quoted with a smirk, wiggling his eyebrows because he knew you hated everyone’s constant overuse of the law. 

 

You rolled your eyes and pulled away from Fangs slightly, stretching and letting out a soft groan as your muscles protested, all the tension from earlier leaving you sore. 

 

“You want take a hot shower? That might help, and we’ll set up some feel good movies and snacks,” Toni suggested, jumping to her feet and helping you stand up. 

 

“Fuck yes, sleepover!” Sweet Pea hooted sarcastically, a grin gracing his features. “Let’s do face masks.”

 

“I know you’re kidding, but now we’re totally doing that,” you chimed, laughing as his face dropped, eyes wide. 

 

You slowly headed to the bathroom, stopping at the entrance and glancing at everyone in your trailer, watching as they argued over what movie would you liked the best, a tired smile lighting up your features as your eyes ran over each of them, your heart warm with something fond.

 

* * *

The next morning, you woke up on the couch, blinking blearily and in confusion as your front door opened, light flooding the trailer. 

 

Toni was curled up next to you, both of your legs tangled in the middle while Sweet Pea and Fangs were asleep on the floor, piles of blankets and pillows softening the hard surface. You giggled at the sight of them practically spooning, Fangs’ face squished against Sweet Pea’s shoulder. 

 

As Jughead quietly crept in, you rose to your knees, resting your arms on the top of the couch and giving him a tired smile. “Hey, Jug.” 

 

“I’m so sorry I wasn’t here,” he quickly rushed, his arms full of paper bags filled with groceries. “I didn’t see all the texts from them till this morning, I was with Betty last night so my phone was off.”

 

“They texted you?” You asked in surprise, glancing at your friends and watching as they all stirred, Sweet Pea grumbling as he tossed his arm over his face, nearly hitting Fangs. 

 

“Yeah,” Jughead murmured, tilting his head and taking in the sight of the boys with a smirk. “Pea threatened to decapitate me if I didn’t  _ ‘come through with some breathing techniques,’ _ ” he mimicked, his smirk growing into a grin. “Look at that, he’s the little spoon.”

 

You both dissolved into laughter and you cackled as Sweet Pea tossed a pillow at Jughead, not even opening his eyes and still managing to reach his general vicinity. Jughead dodged it with a smirk, and nodded towards the kitchen. 

 

“As a show of support, I brought all the breakfast fixins possible. Figured you could use a good meal.” 

 

He was giving you a soft cautious smile, and you grinned happily, nodding in excitement. “Yes, please. I’m going to go brush my teeth, meet you in there.” 

 

You didn’t bother with the others, already knowing they’d be up in minutes, having heard Jughead mention breakfast. After brushing your teeth and splashing copious amounts of cold water on your swollen eyes, you headed into the kitchen, a smile playing on your lips as Sweet Pea and Fangs argued over who got to use the bathroom next, not noticing Toni roll her eyes and slip in without a word. 

 

By the time everyone was in the kitchen, the music had been turned up loudly, happy songs floating through the kitchen as you mixed pancake batter. Toni was washing the fresh fruit while Jughead cooked the bacon, Fangs slapping Sweet Pea’s hands away as he insisted on making eggs ‘a la Fogarty.’ 

 

“Extra cheese doesn’t mean you came up with a recipe,” Sweet Pea muttered, snickering when Fangs tossed an egg shell at him.

 

“Oi!” Toni scolded, turning around from the sink and giving the boys a stern glare. “No food fights. I was picking batter out of my hair for an entire week after the last time.”

 

You all collapsed into laughter at the reminder, and you grinned happily, humming along to the music. It was a wide contrast from how terrible you had felt last night. And you were still tired, your eyes sore from a steady stream of tears. But somehow your friends had managed to lift your spirits, and the love they made you feel was enough to motivate you to keep going. 

 

Pouring the batter onto the skillet, you glanced up and giggled as Sweet Pea spun Toni around, both of them dancing around to the music as Fangs sang loudly, struggling to hit the high notes. 

 

_ “Everything starts at your skin, so new  
_ _ Your love's always finding me out  
_ _ Who am I kidding?  
_ _ If all my defenses come down, oh baby  
_ _ Will you lay it all on me now? _ __ ”

 

“Somehow we always end up listening to Vance Joy,” Jughead muttered, looking wary and fond at the same time, carefully flipping the bacon. 

 

“It’s comfort music,” you responded with a shrug, squealing with Fangs tossed a handful of chocolate chips onto the pancakes you were making. “Fangs!”

 

“I’m making them better,” he defended, wiggling his brows at you and leaning down to press a kiss against your cheek. “How are you feeling?” 

 

“I’m okay,” you murmured, smiling up at him and carefully flipping the pancakes. “Last night helped a lot. I mean, not the hyperventilating part, but the part with you guys.” 

 

He hugged you from behind, arms encircling your waist again as he set his head on your shoulder, humming in response.

 

“If this is your way of monitoring my pancakes, I’m onto you,” you quipped, eyeing his hands in case he was hiding anymore chocolate chips, leaning back against him in habit.

 

“I’m just trying to take care of my girl,” he joked, letting you go to bring the bowl of scrambled eggs onto the counter. 

 

You smiled at him sweetly, blowing him a mock kiss and snickering when Sweet Pea pretended to intercept it, tossing it away dramatically. 

 

“Stop trying to steal my best friend,” he warned you, eyes glimmering mischievously as he stepped between you and Fangs, towering over you and peering at the pancakes. “Oh hell yes, chocolate chip pancakes.” 

 

“Don’t worry, Pea. I would never get between a big spoon and a little spoon,” you teased, a smirk playing on your lips as you flipped the stove off and started stacking the pancakes onto an empty plate.

 

Sweet Pea’s mouth dropped open indignantly and Fangs snickered from beside him, Toni letting out a dramatic cackle from the other side of the wall. 

 

“She got you there!” She called out, starting to set the table. 

 

You laughed at Sweet Pea’s expression of annoyance and nodded at him to grab the other plates, heading to the table between the kitchen and the living room. 

 

As you all settled down to eat, passing around cups of coffee and bottles of syrup, music still playing in the back as you discussed anything and everything, you relaxed against your chair, your chest warm as love filled you to the brim.

 

You knew things would never be perfect. You would have more moments like last night. Life would continue to have ups and downs, affecting every single person in the room. But the bond that you had was more than enough, and you knew things would be okay as long as you had them.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own the characters or the song, which belongs to Vance Joy.


End file.
